Bustle.



H. m. TEN BROOK.-

B UST L E. (Applicatibn filed Feb. 20, i901.)

] (No Model.)

r I dZTORNE Ys.

Paientd Mar. 11.1902.

UNIT D STATES PATENT QFF GE.

' HELEN M. TEN BROOK, or SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

BUSTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,420, dated March 11,1902.

' Applioatihn filed February 20. 1901. Serial No. 48,046. (No inotleL) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HELEN M. TEN BRooK,

of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in

the State of New York,have invented new and useful Improvements in Bust1es,'of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and

exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in bustles.

The object of this invention is to provide light and durable means whereby the skirts are held firmly in position up to the waistline, the shirt-waist or other similar garment is prevented from creeping or otherwise drawing up from the belt, and the load of the skirts is transmitted to the. shoulders 'of the wearer, thereby serving a hygienic purpose:

and'causing the dress of the wearer to always present a neat and tidy appearance.

.The further object of my invention is to construct the parts of a bustle in such manner that the bustle may be readily made to conform to the contour or shape of the body. when placed in operative position and always; maintainsits symmetry of form under all con-v ditions and uses without liability'of mattingor getting out of place.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, construction, and arrangement of the parts of a bustle or skirt-supporting de-.

vice,a's hereinafter fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bustle embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is aninnerface view,partly broken away, of the body ofthe bustle and. the band and fastening-plate secured thereto, portions of the band being broken away and the inner lining of the body being also broken creep sidewise or draw up from the belt 'or skirt-band, and that the load of the skirts rests upon the hips of the wearer. I have sought to overcome these difficulties by pro viding the bustle with a suitable toothed plate secured to the band of the bustle, which is adapted to engage a corset lace or cover, or when the shirt-waistis worn to engage the shirt-waist for holding the skirts up to the band a.

The bustle-body A may be of any desired form or size, is usually composed of inner andouterlayers of fabric 1 and 2 and a fillingor padding 3, interposed between said fabric layers, the edges of said layers being secured together by suitable stitching f or forming a sack, which retains the padding 3 in position.

The waistband a issecured to the upper edge of the body A and is formed with suitablestraps on, which are adapted to be tied around the Waist for partially supporting the bustle in position.

The plate 13 is preferably formed of metal, is secured to the inner face of the waistband a by suitable fastening means, as rivetsor eyelets 4, passed through the waistband and ends of'the metal-plate, leaving the interme; diate portion free from secureinent to' the band, and its lower edge is provided with depending teeth 5, which are adapted to engage the lace or casing of the corset, ora shirt-waist when worn, said plate being usually formed of thin sheet metal, having its end and upper edges formed substantially smooth and unbroken inorder to economize in the manufacture of' the plate andalso toprevent undue abrasion of the wearing-apparel;

In order that the body of the bustle may always maintain its proper form and elasticity, I preferablyprovide the same with opposite upright spring-stays 6, secured to the opposite ends of the body A and preferably to the inner face of the inner layer 1 of said body, said stays having their opposite ends extended in proximity to the upper and lower edges of the body A at opposite ends of the plate. Secured to the lower edge of the body A is an additional stay 7, extending transversely of said body from side to side in a plane substantially parallel with the band a and having its upper ends extended beneath and in proximity to the lower ends of the upright stays 6, said stay 7 being also formed of spring-steel or equivalent material. The upright stays 6 serve to tension the fabric vertically for holding the body in its upright position, and the stay 7 serves to tension the lower edge of the fabric laterally.

Interposed between the upright stays 6 and between the lower stay 7 and band a are a series of transverse diagonal stays 8, 9, l0, and 11, said stays S, 9, l0, and 11 being also secured to the inner face of the lining l of the body A. These stays are preferably arranged at an angle with the band a and lower stay 7 and usually extend diagonally entirely across the face of the body A between the upright stays 6. The stays 8 and 10 are arranged substantially parallel with each other, the stay 8 having one end arranged in proximity to the upper end of one of the upright stays 6 and its other end arranged in proximity to the intermediate portion of the opposite stay (3, and the said stay 10 is arranged with one of its ends in proximity to the lower end of said opposite stay 6 and its other end in proximity to the intermediate portion of the former upright stay 6. The stays 9 and 11 are also arranged substantially parallel with each other and in planes intersecting, respectively, the stays S and 10, corresponding ends of the stays 8 and 11 being arranged in proximity to each other and to theintermediate portion of one of the upright stays and are extended in diverging directions toward the other upright stay, their opposite ends being disposed in proximity to the opposite ends of the other upright stay 6. In like manner corresponding ends of the stays 9 and 10 are arranged in proximity to each other and to the intermediate portion of one of the upright stays 6 and are extended in diverging directions toward the opposite ends of the opposite upright stay 6. It is thus evident that the several stays form particularly light and durable means for retaining the body A of the bustle in its extended position and that by arranging the intermediate stays 8,9, 10, and 11 in diverging and intersecting planes the body of the bustle is not only extended or tensioned laterally, but is also tensioned vertically, by reason of the fact that when the body of the bustle is bent or curved the tendency of the portions of the intersecting stays at opposite sides of their point of intersection is to expand the pertions of said body secured to the outer ends of said intersecting stays. These stays are usually inclosed in the usual fabric sheathing, which permits the same to be readily secured v to the fabric of the body A, the ends of said stays being also provided with the usual caps for preventing abrasion of the adjacent portions of the fabric.

Secured to the lateral edges of the inner lining 1 are suitable straps I), which are adapted to be tied or otherwise fastened together for effecting the proper curvature of the body of the bustle.

Secured to the band a and depending therefrom at the opposite sides of the body A are hip pockets or pads A, which are preferably open at their upper ends for permitting the insertion or removal of the padding, as may be desired, the remaining edges of said poele ets or pads being stitched together for retaining the padding in position.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that some change may be made in the detail construction and arrangement of my invention with out departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-- 1. A bustle comprising a waistband having a depending body of fabric or equivalent material, upright spring-stays secured to the opposite ends of the body, and a transverse spring-stay secured to the lower edge of the fabric body and having its opposite ends in close proximity to the lower ends of the up right stays, and a flat metal plate secured to the inner face of the waistband in a position above and between the upper ends of the up right stays and substantially parallel with the lower transverse stay and provided with de pending teeth for the purpose described.

2. A bustle comprising inner and outer layers of fabric or equivalent material, spring stays or bars extending diagonally in intersecting planes across and between the'layers of fabric and secured thereto, upright stays secured between the layers and extended upwardly from the lower ends of the former stays, and a metal plate secured to the inner face of upper edge of the bustle above and between the upper ends of the upright stays and provided with depending teeth for the purpose set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of February, 1901.

HELEN M. TEN BROOK.

XV itnesses:

II. E. CHASE, MILDRED M. NOTT. 

